HARRISBURG - The top-seeded Alton Post 126 junior American Legion baseball team drew four walks and a hit batsman to push across the tying and winning runs to defeat Patoka Post 543 4-3 in their Illinois Fifth Division tournament opener Friday afternoon, July 17, 2026, at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg.
The junior Legionnaires received a bye into the winner's bracket semifinals and advance to the winner's bracket final against Carrier Mills Post 364 Saturday morning.
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Patoka had gone in front in the top of the first inning 1-0, but Alton rallied back to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first. Patoka then retied the game with a single run in the fifth, and scored another single run in the sixth to go in front 3-2. Post 126 battled back in the bottom of the seventh, as Nolan Pichee and Auggie Landuyt drew walks to lead off the inning, and Max Laird was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Fletcher Groppel then walked to force home Pichee to tie the game, and after a pop out, Will McCormick drew another bases-loaded walk to force home Landuyt and give the win to Alton 4-3.
Clayton McCormick, Pichee, Landuyt, Kadin Whitsken, and Chris Rayfield had the hits in the game for the Junior Legionnaires, while Laird, Groppel, and Will McCormick all had RBIs. Clayton McCormick started on the mound, and went five innings, and allowed two earned runs on three hits, walked one and struck out five. Whitsken pitched he final two innings, and was credited with the win, allowing an earned run on three hits, walking one and fanning two.
